Monday, 8 December 2014

"We have identified the catalyst of human inspiration. You are not supposed to know this. Nor this: Its essence is corrupted.

What then, of our creators?

The most perceptive - and most obsessive - among them have long understood that their influence could be dangerous, a sort of privileged comprehension that the end of the world may well converge upon the inspiration that fires them and the imagination that enables them ..."

So begins "The Chronicles of Ara", an eight-volume fantasy epic written by Joel Eisenberg and Steven Hillard that explores the origins and repercussions of artistic creation.
Ara, the muse who inspires all of artistry and invention, has suffered a classic tragedy. In her grief, she manipulates a return to "dragon-scorched earth," a time before time once chronicled by the mystic S'n Te as "The Pre-Genesis Era".

In "Creation", retired author J.R.R. Tolkien is asked to validate the existence of an alleged "lost" book of his greatest literary influence: "Beowulf". Violent backlash from this event will force an imminent re-evaluation of some of history's most influential literary works and authors, whose words and lives have, apparently, warned us of the muse's grave intention all along ...

Joel Eisenberg is one of the most well-connected first-time novelists on social media, having attained nearly 50,000 first-level contacts (so far) two months prior to his book's release. He is also an avid movie buff, loves horror and science fiction novels and wishes he never gave up on those Karate classes years ago. He ran the LA Marathon (and completed the course) in 2005, celebrated at Taco Bell and temporarily lost his Eye of the Tiger (aka went downhill from there). Now 50 and 15 pounds above his glory weight, he promised his wife that he'll complete the 2015 LA Marathon, or he'll buy her a new Lamborghini.

These days, Joel's professional universe has been overtaken by all things "Ara", as in, "The Chronicles of Ara" - the ambitious, new 8-book science fiction-fantasy epic he has co-written with Steve Hilllard. 'Overtaken' as the work has already been signed to a television development deal and seven more books are still to be completed.

Otherwise, Joel has been writing professionally since 1986, starting as a columnist for a series of national sports-entertainment periodicals. Joel has written and//or executive produced several films, including "April Showers" (EP), based on the Columbine school shooting tragedy, and the multi-award-winning drama "Out of the Black." Television deals in the hopper include a pilot for FOX, and the return of a soon-to-be-announced television favorite.

He has written or contributed to several books, including "How To Survive A Day Job," "Tales of the Dead" and "Championship Networking".

In 2004, Joel was hired by a private party to identify and organize a substantial lot of original handwritten John Steinbeck materials, referred to by a noted historian as "one of the most important literary finds of the century."

Joel supports Special Education programs, and worked as a teacher for at-risk youth in such avenues as Creative Writing. He is an in-demand speaker who has spoken for arts and educational organizations nationwide, on topics such as Maverick Career Strategies For Creative Artists.

Steve Hillard grew up in Bossier City, Louisiana and Grand Junction, Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State University and later earned a degree in philosophy at Columbia University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado. Before settling into his current career as a private equity entrepeneur, Hillard was a teacher at Rikers Island Prison, a welder, a carpenter, and a practicing lawyer. He is the founder and head of Council Tree Communications, a private equity fund involved in the entertainment and telecom industries. He resides with his wife, Sharmaine, in San Antonio. Publication of his first book, "Mirkwood: A Novel About JRR Tolkien", led to an exciting adventure. The Tolkien Estate sought to ban the book, to which the author responded with a lawsuit in federal court. The dispute received international attention, with articles in the London Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Christian Science Monitor. The case quickly settled and the book went on to become an Amazon Fantasy Best Seller, recipient of a national IPPY Award, and was published world-wide in Spanish by an imprint of Planeta. The book has since been picked up by a Hollywood producer and is listed in IMDB as in development as a movie. An epic spin-out of the book's main fantasy character, Ara, is the subject of an eight-volume series co-authored with Joel Eisenberg. The first volume, "Creation: The Chronicles of Ara", will be released by Zharmae Publishing in November, 2014. A companion series, "The Lost Chronicles of Ara", is written by the same duo and is slated for release starting in 2015. These series are the subject of an agreement with a major independent producer to create a TV series. Mr. Hillard's other writing projects include a forthcoming thriller about JFK.